Cellular communication high-rate forwarding method, device and system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication networks, in particular to a cellular communication high-rate forwarding method, device and system, and the method comprises the steps: receiving communication data from a cellular base station through a cellular communication module; the method comprises the following steps of: converting communication data into an Ethernet signal, inputting the Ethernet signal into a hardware acceleration unit of a main processor through a network system interface of the main processor, and directly forwarding the Ethernet signal to at least one output interface which is in communication connection with the main processor by the hardware acceleration unit based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table, the output interface comprises a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless local area network interface; the bandwidth of the Ethernet signal is not lower than a preset downlink bandwidth. The Ethernet signal is directly forwarded by using the hardware acceleration unit and the pre-established hardware forwarding table, and packet-by-packet processing and multi-level cache transmission of a CPU are avoided, so that the CPU load is remarkably reduced, the data forwarding rate is improved, and full utilization of downlink data bandwidth is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication network technology, and in particular to a high-speed cellular communication forwarding method, a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device, and a high-speed cellular communication forwarding system. Background Technology

[0002] 4G / 5G cellular communication modules have been widely deployed in modern communication networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and high-speed data transmission applications. These cellular communication modules typically connect to the main processor via a USB or PCIe interface. The main processor is responsible for converting and processing the network data received by the cellular communication module before forwarding it to downstream network devices or terminals. However, in existing technologies, USB and PCIe signals are actually transmitted through the CPU's internal I / O interface. During processing, the data needs to pass through IODie, access external DDR memory via the system bus, and then be passed to the shared L3 (Level 3 cache) cache (some CPUs without an L3 cache directly enter the L2 (Level 2 cache) cache). Subsequently, it is distributed to the L2 and L1 (Level 1 cache) caches of each CPU core for data processing and protocol conversion, and finally sent to the network system unit via the system bus for Ethernet or Wi-Fi signal generation. For example, patent application CN103098446A (classification number H04L) provides a network processor for a broadband gateway; patent application CN104253765A (classification number H04L) provides a data packet switching method, apparatus, access switch, and switching system; and patent application CN107888519A (classification number H04L) provides a local area gigabit Ethernet switch. All of these existing solutions rely on the CPU core to process data packets step-by-step during high-speed data forwarding, including accessing external memory via the system bus, copying and calculating data in multi-level caches, and performing protocol parsing and forwarding decisions within the CPU.

[0003] Clearly, this software or hardware co-processing approach based on the main processor has significant performance bottlenecks. For example, when the downlink data volume of the cellular communication module is large, the CPU must activate all cores to handle high-speed data forwarding tasks. For low-performance processors, this not only fills up the running memory and L1, L2, and L3 caches, but also causes the data forwarding rate to be limited by CPU performance, resulting in stuttering or decreased throughput, which cannot meet the actual application requirements of high-speed, high-bandwidth cellular network data forwarding. Even using a high-performance processor will lead to a significant increase in power consumption and temperature, and the cost of a high-performance processor will also increase the price of the entire device, which is not conducive to the promotion of 4G / 5G cellular network application equipment.

[0004] Furthermore, for edge computing gateways, IoT gateways, 4G / 5G routers, and personal computing devices, the CPU needs to handle other application tasks while performing high-speed cellular data forwarding. If the CPU is entirely dedicated to data forwarding, other tasks cannot be processed in a timely manner, resulting in a decline in overall device performance and even system crashes. With the development of 5G technology, the downlink speed of cellular networks has reached 2.4Gbps. The traditional method of forwarding data via CPU is far from meeting the actual bandwidth requirements, let alone providing reliable data forwarding support for future 5.5G, 6G, and other higher bandwidth cellular communication applications. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art, this application provides a high-speed forwarding method, apparatus and system for cellular communication, which solves the technical problems in the prior art where the data of the cellular communication module is forwarded through the CPU, such as high CPU load, large cache occupation, limited data forwarding rate, increased power consumption and temperature, and inability to meet the data forwarding requirements of high-speed and high-bandwidth cellular networks.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the main technical solutions adopted in this application include:

[0009] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication, comprising:

[0010] The cellular communication module receives communication data from the cellular base station; the communication data is converted into an Ethernet signal, and the Ethernet signal is input to the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor. The hardware acceleration unit forwards the Ethernet signal directly to at least one output interface that is connected to the main processor based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table. The output interface includes a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless LAN interface.

[0011] The Ethernet signal bandwidth is not less than the preset downlink bandwidth.

[0012] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry, each hardware forwarding table entry including: a packet matching condition for describing the Ethernet signal to be forwarded; and a forwarding operation corresponding to the packet matching condition; wherein the hardware forwarding table entry is stored inside the hardware acceleration unit.

[0013] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the forwarding based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table includes: after the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit through the network system interface, the hardware acceleration unit extracts a preset matching field from the Ethernet signal; determines whether the matching field satisfies the data packet matching condition of a certain hardware forwarding table entry; when the matching field satisfies the data packet matching condition of the hardware forwarding table entry, the hardware acceleration unit directly forwards the Ethernet signal to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry according to the forwarding operation recorded in the hardware forwarding table entry.

[0014] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the cellular communication module is a 4G cellular communication module or a 5G cellular communication module; the preset downlink bandwidth is the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module.

[0015] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the network system interface is an RGMII interface or an SGMII interface; the bandwidth of the Ethernet signal is 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, or 10Gbps.

[0016] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the hardware acceleration unit is a hardware network address translation unit.

[0017] Secondly, this embodiment also provides a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device, comprising:

[0018] The main processor integrates a network system interface and a hardware acceleration unit; the cellular communication module receives communication data from a cellular base station and sends the communication data to a PCIe-to-Ethernet conversion unit via a PCIe interface; the PCIe-to-Ethernet conversion unit converts the communication data into an Ethernet signal and inputs the Ethernet signal to the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor via the network system interface; wherein, the hardware acceleration unit is used to directly forward the Ethernet signal to at least one output interface communicatively connected to the main processor based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table; the output interface includes a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless LAN interface; the bandwidth of the Ethernet signal is not less than the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module.

[0019] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry, each hardware forwarding table entry including: a packet matching condition for describing the Ethernet signal to be forwarded; and a forwarding operation corresponding to the packet matching condition; wherein the hardware forwarding table entry is stored inside the hardware acceleration unit.

[0020] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the forwarding based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table includes: after the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit through the network system interface, the hardware acceleration unit extracts a preset matching field from the Ethernet signal; determines whether the matching field satisfies the data packet matching condition of a certain hardware forwarding table entry; when the matching field satisfies the data packet matching condition of the hardware forwarding table entry, the hardware acceleration unit directly forwards the Ethernet signal to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry according to the forwarding operation recorded in the hardware forwarding table entry.

[0021] Thirdly, this embodiment also provides a high-speed cellular communication forwarding system, including the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device described in the second aspect, and at least one external network device, wherein the external network device is communicatively connected to the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device through the output interface.

[0022] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0023] The high-speed forwarding method, apparatus, and system for cellular communication provided in this application convert communication data received by the cellular communication module into Ethernet signals, and input them to the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor. The hardware acceleration unit directly forwards the Ethernet signals to the output interface connected to the main processor based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table, thus achieving high-speed forwarding of cellular communication data. Compared with the prior art, this application avoids the problems of high CPU utilization, full memory and L1 (Level 1 cache), L2 (Level 2 cache), and L3 (Level 3 cache) cache, and limited data forwarding bandwidth caused by multi-core CPU processing and multi-level cache transfer in traditional solutions. Since the hardware acceleration unit directly completes the matching and forwarding operation of data packets, even when the downlink data volume of the cellular communication module is large, it can ensure that the Ethernet signal bandwidth is not lower than the pre-set downlink bandwidth, thereby achieving high-speed, high-bandwidth data forwarding. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a high-speed cellular communication forwarding system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure Labels

[0028] 1: Main processor; 11: Network system interface; 12: Hardware acceleration unit; 2: Cellular communication module; 3: PCIe interface; 4: PCIe to Ethernet conversion unit; 5: Output interface; 6: External network device. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To better explain and facilitate understanding of this application, the following detailed description of the application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] In existing technologies, the forwarding of 4G / 5G cellular communication data mainly involves the following implementation methods:

[0031] The first type of solution involves data forwarding via full CPU core processing and cache transfer. In this solution, downlink data received by the 4G / 5G cellular communication module enters the CPU through a USB or PCIe interface. The CPU then writes the data to external DDR memory via its internal system bus, and subsequently passes it to the shared L3 cache (or directly to the L2 cache) and the L2 and L1 caches of each CPU core for data conversion. Finally, the CPU transmits the data to the network system unit to generate Ethernet or Wi-Fi signals for forwarding. While this solution can achieve data forwarding, it is extremely dependent on CPU computing power. When the cellular communication data volume is large, the CPU needs to run the data forwarding task on all cores, consuming a significant amount of RAM and multi-level caches. This causes the data forwarding bandwidth to be affected by CPU performance, easily leading to stuttering or decreased throughput. Furthermore, while a high-performance CPU can meet the high-speed data forwarding requirements, it inevitably brings about a significant increase in power consumption and temperature, which is detrimental to energy conservation, emission reduction, and equipment cost control.

[0032] The second category is CPU forwarding schemes based on multi-threaded software acceleration or DMA optimization. These schemes use software optimization or hardware-assisted interfaces such as DMA to move cellular communication data from the CPU cache to the network interface for forwarding, which can alleviate CPU core load to some extent. However, because the data still needs to pass through multiple levels of CPU caching, especially for low-performance x86 or ARM architecture processors, when there are many parallel tasks or the data volume exceeds the CPU's processing capacity, problems such as cache exhaustion, processing latency, and a decrease in overall system response still occur. Furthermore, support for high-bandwidth cellular communication data remains limited, failing to fully leverage the downlink speed advantages of 5G and future 5.5G and 6G cellular networks.

[0033] The third type is a solution that uses a dedicated network processor or FPGA for data forwarding. This solution inputs data from the cellular communication module into dedicated hardware for processing and forwarding. Although it can alleviate CPU load, it usually requires additional hardware costs and has high integration complexity in actual products, which is not conducive to large-scale application and promotion.

[0034] To address the problems of high CPU load, full cache, limited data forwarding bandwidth, and high power consumption in existing technologies, this application provides a high-speed forwarding method, apparatus, and system for cellular communication. This method converts communication data received by the cellular communication module into Ethernet signals and inputs them to a hardware acceleration unit integrated within the main processor via the main processor's network system interface. The hardware acceleration unit directly performs packet matching and forwarding operations based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table, enabling direct data forwarding to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry. By introducing the hardware acceleration unit, this application avoids the bottlenecks of full-core CPU processing and multi-level cache transfer. Even with large cellular communication data volumes and downlink speeds reaching 2.4Gbps or higher, it ensures that the data forwarding bandwidth is not lower than the preset downlink bandwidth, while significantly reducing CPU usage, allowing the main processor to handle other parallel tasks and improving the overall system stability and reliability. Furthermore, this application's solution, through direct hardware forwarding, can reduce power consumption and heat while ensuring high-speed, high-bandwidth data processing, lowering the overall cost and facilitating its promotion and use in various application scenarios such as routers, IoT gateways, and edge computing devices.

[0035] To better understand the above technical solutions, exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application can be understood more clearly and thoroughly, and that the scope of this application can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, this high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication includes:

[0037] Receive communication data from cellular base stations through the cellular communication module;

[0038] The communication data is converted into an Ethernet signal, and the Ethernet signal is input to the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor.

[0039] The hardware acceleration unit, based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table, directly forwards the Ethernet signal to at least one output interface that is communicatively connected to the main processor.

[0040] The output interfaces include a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless LAN interface.

[0041] The Ethernet signal bandwidth is not less than the preset downlink bandwidth.

[0042] Specifically, the high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication described in this application includes the following steps: First, communication data from a cellular base station is received via a 4G or 5G cellular communication module. This data, after being received by the cellular communication module, is input into the system in its original cellular signal form. Subsequently, the communication data is converted into an Ethernet signal and input to the hardware acceleration unit built into the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor. For example, in a typical implementation, the main processor may include an RGMII or SGMII interface, through which high-speed downlink cellular data can be input into the hardware acceleration unit at a bandwidth of 2.5Gbps or higher. In this stage, the hardware acceleration unit does not need to occupy a CPU core for full data processing; instead, it directly reads key matching fields in the Ethernet signal, such as the destination MAC address, VLAN ID, or IP address, to determine which output interface the data packet should be forwarded to.

[0043] The hardware acceleration unit performs forwarding operations based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table. For example, if a match condition in a hardware forwarding table entry is "destination MAC address is A, VLAN ID is 100", the hardware acceleration unit can directly send the Ethernet signal to the corresponding wired Ethernet interface or wireless LAN interface when the extracted matching fields meet this condition. In this way, fast and accurate packet forwarding is achieved without requiring multi-level CPU caches and core processors for end-to-end forwarding operations, thus significantly reducing CPU load and memory consumption.

[0044] This method ensures that the bandwidth for cellular communication data forwarding is no less than the pre-set downlink bandwidth. For example, in a scenario where the maximum downlink rate of a 5G module is 2.4Gbps, the method in this application can guarantee that the Ethernet signal bandwidth reaches or exceeds 2.4Gbps, ensuring smooth transmission of high-speed data in the network system without stuttering or delay. This hardware-accelerated forwarding method not only improves data forwarding efficiency but also significantly reduces power consumption and temperature, allowing the device to remain stable even under prolonged high-speed operation. Simultaneously, because CPU resources are freed up, other tasks can be processed in parallel, such as data analysis in edge computing and status monitoring of IoT devices, thereby improving the overall performance and responsiveness of the entire system.

[0045] In summary, this application achieves high-speed, high-bandwidth data forwarding by converting communication data received by the cellular communication module into Ethernet signals and combining this with the main processor's built-in hardware acceleration unit and a pre-established hardware forwarding table. This application not only solves the bandwidth limitation problem caused by high CPU load and full cache in existing technologies, but also reduces power consumption and overall system cost, and improves the overall stability and reliability of the system.

[0046] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry, each hardware forwarding table entry including: a packet matching condition for describing the Ethernet signal to be forwarded; and a forwarding operation corresponding to the packet matching condition;

[0047] The hardware forwarding table entries are stored inside the hardware acceleration unit.

[0048] The forwarding based on the pre-established hardware forwarding table includes:

[0049] After the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit through the network system interface, the hardware acceleration unit extracts a preset matching field from the Ethernet signal.

[0050] Determine whether the matching field satisfies the packet matching condition of a certain hardware forwarding table entry in the hardware forwarding table;

[0051] When the matching field meets the data packet matching condition of the hardware forwarding table entry, the hardware acceleration unit forwards the Ethernet signal directly to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry according to the forwarding operation recorded in the hardware forwarding table entry.

[0052] Specifically, the hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding entry. Each hardware forwarding entry records the packet matching conditions for a specific Ethernet signal and the corresponding forwarding operation. For example, the packet matching conditions in the hardware forwarding entry may include information such as destination MAC address, source MAC address, VLAN ID, IP address, or protocol type. For instance, if the matching conditions of one hardware forwarding entry are set to "destination MAC address is AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF, VLAN ID is 100", the corresponding forwarding operation is to directly forward Ethernet signals that meet these conditions to the wired Ethernet interface. Another hardware forwarding entry has matching conditions of "source MAC address is 11:22:33:44:55:66, protocol type is UDP", and the corresponding forwarding operation could be to forward the data packet to the wireless LAN interface and trigger specific traffic monitoring or load balancing functions. All hardware forwarding entries are stored internally in the hardware acceleration unit, allowing the matching and forwarding operations to be completed at high speed without consuming CPU core resources.

[0053] During actual forwarding, when the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit via the RGMII or SGMII interface, the hardware acceleration unit extracts preset matching fields from the Ethernet signal, such as the destination MAC address, VLAN ID, or IP header information. Subsequently, the hardware acceleration unit determines whether the extracted matching fields meet the packet matching conditions of any hardware forwarding table entry. If they do, the hardware acceleration unit directly forwards the Ethernet signal to the corresponding output interface according to the forwarding operation recorded in that hardware forwarding table entry. In this way, the matching and forwarding operations for each packet are completed at the hardware level, eliminating the need for CPU intervention in packet-by-packet judgment and processing, significantly improving data forwarding efficiency.

[0054] This embodiment achieves high-speed, high-bandwidth, and resource-efficient data forwarding by setting a pre-established hardware forwarding table within the hardware acceleration unit and combining it with a hardware-level packet matching and forwarding mechanism. Specifically, since all packet matching and forwarding operations are completed within the hardware acceleration unit, without CPU core processing and multi-level caching, high-speed, low-latency data forwarding can be guaranteed even when downlink data traffic reaches 2.4Gbps or higher. Simultaneously, packet matching and forwarding implemented through the hardware forwarding table significantly reduces CPU core usage, allowing the CPU to be used for other application tasks, such as edge computing data processing, IoT device management, or real-time monitoring, thereby improving overall performance and response speed. Furthermore, the hardware forwarding table entries support setting different matching conditions and forwarding strategies for different types of packets, enabling flexible adjustment of forwarding behavior according to network environment and application requirements. In summary, this embodiment not only solves the forwarding bottleneck problem caused by excessive CPU load and full cache in the prior art, but also significantly improves the system's operating efficiency, stability, and flexibility.

[0055] In this embodiment, the cellular communication module is a 4G cellular communication module or a 5G cellular communication module; the preset downlink bandwidth is the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module.

[0056] The network system interface is an RGMII interface or an SGMII interface;

[0057] The bandwidth of the Ethernet signal is 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, or 10Gbps.

[0058] The hardware acceleration unit is a hardware network address translation unit.

[0059] Specifically, in this embodiment, the cellular communication module can be a 4G cellular communication module or a 5G cellular communication module. For example, in 4G applications, the maximum downlink rate of the cellular communication module can reach 1Gbps, while in 5G applications, the maximum downlink rate can reach 2.4Gbps or even higher. By directly converting the communication data received by the cellular communication module into Ethernet signals and inputting them into the hardware acceleration unit, the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular module can be fully utilized, ensuring that data forwarding is not limited by bandwidth bottlenecks. Regarding the network system interface, this embodiment preferably uses an RGMII interface or an SGMII interface to efficiently connect the signal of the cellular communication module to the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor. For example, the RGMII interface supports 1Gbps or 2.5Gbps Ethernet signal transmission, while the SGMII interface can flexibly adapt to Ethernet links of different rates, achieving high-speed, low-latency data transmission. The bandwidth of the Ethernet signal is 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, or 10Gbps, which can meet the current downlink rate requirements of 5G cellular networks and reserve sufficient expansion space for future 5.5G, 6G, and higher bandwidth cellular communication. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hardware acceleration unit is a hardware Network Address Translation (NAT) unit, which can independently perform address translation and forwarding operations for data packets under high-speed data flow. For example, when multiple external devices simultaneously receive cellular network data through wired Ethernet or wireless LAN interfaces, the hardware NAT unit can quickly resolve source / destination IP and port information, perform address translation, and efficiently forward data packets to the target output interface without CPU intervention.

[0060] This embodiment utilizes 4G or 5G cellular communication modules and their maximum downlink bandwidth to fully leverage high-speed data streams in the downlink, effectively solving the bandwidth shortage problem caused by CPU forwarding bottlenecks in existing technologies. Simultaneously, the use of RGMII or SGMII interfaces enables high-speed, low-latency data transmission between the cellular communication module and the hardware acceleration unit, allowing the system to support Ethernet signals with bandwidths of 2.5Gbps and higher, thus meeting the needs of 5G and future high-bandwidth communication applications. Furthermore, the hardware network address translation unit can independently complete address translation and data forwarding without CPU involvement. This significantly reduces CPU load, improves the overall system response speed, and ensures the continuity and stability of the data stream.

[0061] See Figure 2 This embodiment also provides a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device, including:

[0062] The main processor 1 integrates a network system interface 11 and a hardware acceleration unit 12;

[0063] Cellular communication module 2 is used to receive communication data from cellular base stations and send the communication data to PCIe to Ethernet conversion unit 4 through PCIe interface 3;

[0064] PCIe to Ethernet conversion unit 4 is used to convert the communication data into Ethernet signals and input the Ethernet signals into the hardware acceleration unit 12 of the main processor through the network system interface 11 of the main processor.

[0065] The hardware acceleration unit 12 is used to forward the Ethernet signal directly to at least one output interface 5 that is communicatively connected to the main processor 1, based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table.

[0066] The output interface 5 includes a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless LAN interface.

[0067] The Ethernet signal bandwidth is not less than the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module 2.

[0068] Preferably, in some embodiments of this application, the hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry, each hardware forwarding table entry including: a packet matching condition for describing the Ethernet signal to be forwarded; and a forwarding operation corresponding to the packet matching condition;

[0069] The hardware forwarding table entries are stored inside the hardware acceleration unit.

[0070] The forwarding based on the pre-established hardware forwarding table includes:

[0071] After the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit 12 through the network system interface 11, the hardware acceleration unit 12 extracts a preset matching field from the Ethernet signal.

[0072] Determine whether the matching field satisfies the packet matching condition of a certain hardware forwarding table entry in the hardware forwarding table;

[0073] When the matching field meets the data packet matching condition of the hardware forwarding table entry, the hardware acceleration unit forwards the Ethernet signal directly to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry according to the forwarding operation recorded in the hardware forwarding table entry.

[0074] In this embodiment, the main processor 1 can be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), such as a processor based on x86, ARM, or RISC-V architecture. In this case, the CPU is mainly responsible for system control and scheduling, while the high-speed forwarding of data packets is independently completed by the hardware acceleration unit integrated within the main processor, thereby significantly reducing the CPU load and improving response speed and overall performance. Alternatively, the main processor can be a system-on-a-chip (SoC) with integrated network functionality, which integrates a network system interface, a PCIe interface, and hardware acceleration units (such as a network address translation unit or switching unit) within a single chip to achieve high-speed, low-latency forwarding of cellular communication data.

[0075] For example, the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device provided in this embodiment achieves high-speed, high-bandwidth data forwarding by organically combining a cellular communication module, a PCIe-to-Ethernet conversion unit, a main processor, and a hardware acceleration unit. In specific applications, such as in 5G routers or edge computing gateway scenarios, the cellular communication module receives downlink data streams from base stations. These data streams may contain high-bandwidth information such as video streams, IoT sensor data, or industrial control commands. In traditional methods, this data needs to be processed by the CPU core first, then passed through L1, L2, and L3 caches sequentially, and then the CPU transmits the data to the network system unit for Ethernet or Wi-Fi signal conversion. This can easily lead to high CPU utilization, cache filling, and data forwarding delays and packet loss. In this embodiment, the cellular communication module sends communication data to the PCIe-to-Ethernet conversion unit through the PCIe interface. After the conversion unit converts the data into an Ethernet signal, it directly inputs it to the hardware acceleration unit through the main processor's network system interface. The hardware acceleration unit pre-establishes a hardware forwarding table, including multiple hardware forwarding table entries. Each entry defines the packet matching conditions for the Ethernet signal to be forwarded and the corresponding forwarding operation. For example, for video stream data packets, the matching field might be a specific destination MAC address or VLAN ID, and the forwarding operation would send the packet directly to the wired Ethernet interface. For IoT sensor data, the matching field might be a specific port number or IP address, and the forwarding operation would send the packet to a Wi-Fi interface or another downlink. Upon receiving the Ethernet signal, the hardware acceleration unit automatically extracts the matching field and compares it with the forwarding table entries. Data packets that meet the matching conditions can be directly sent to the corresponding output interface according to the forwarding path indicated by the table entry, without CPU intervention.

[0076] This embodiment achieves high-speed, low-latency data forwarding by completing packet matching and forwarding within the hardware acceleration unit, bypassing the CPU core and multi-level cache. Even with downlink data traffic reaching 2.4Gbps or higher, it maintains forwarding stability and continuity. Secondly, CPU load is significantly reduced, freeing up processing resources for edge computing tasks, IoT management, or other real-time applications, improving overall efficiency and responsiveness. Thirdly, the hardware forwarding table supports flexible configuration, allowing for different matching conditions and forwarding strategies to be set for different types of packets, making network management more intelligent and scalable, and easier to meet the needs of various application scenarios. Finally, the device has a simple structure and flexible expansion capabilities, supporting parallel forwarding of multiple downlinks and multiple output interfaces simultaneously, improving reliability and versatility.

[0077] See Figure 3 This application embodiment also provides a high-speed cellular communication forwarding system, including the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device described above, and at least one external network device 6, wherein the external network device 6 is communicatively connected to the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device through the output interface 5.

[0078] In detail, the high-speed cellular communication forwarding system provided in this application embodiment achieves end-to-end high-bandwidth data transmission and flexible applications by combining a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device with at least one external network device. In specific applications, such as in 5G enterprise routers, IoT gateways, or edge computing gateway scenarios, the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device can receive downlink data streams from base stations. These data may include high-definition video streams, industrial control data, or data collected by various sensors. The data is directly delivered to the output interface connected to the main processor via a matching and forwarding process based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table, using the device's internal hardware acceleration unit. External network devices, such as Ethernet switches, Wi-Fi access points, edge servers, or other routers, can receive high-speed Ethernet signals through these output interfaces to achieve subsequent data distribution, storage, processing, or terminal transmission.

[0079] For example, in a smart factory scenario, industrial visual monitoring data transmitted by a 5G base station is first received by a cellular communication module and converted into an Ethernet signal. This signal is then sent directly to an Ethernet switch within the factory via a hardware acceleration unit, according to a forwarding table. The switch then distributes the data to various monitoring terminals or edge servers for real-time analysis. Similarly, in an IoT gateway scenario, a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device can forward sensor data from a base station at high speed to a cloud edge server or a local Wi-Fi network, enabling data aggregation and remote management.

[0080] This system achieves high-speed downlink transmission of cellular network data through close collaboration with external network devices, ensuring that data traffic is not congested or delayed due to CPU bottlenecks, thus improving the overall system throughput. Secondly, the system architecture uses hardware acceleration units for core forwarding tasks, freeing up CPU resources to handle other parallel tasks, such as edge computing, data analysis, or network management, thereby improving overall system efficiency and responsiveness. Thirdly, the external network devices are flexibly configurable, supporting parallel operation of multiple downlinks and various output interfaces, enabling the entire system to adapt to different application scenarios and achieve high scalability and network management flexibility. Finally, the system can stably support 5G and future high-bandwidth cellular communication applications, such as future 6G networks, providing reliable data forwarding guarantees for scenarios such as high-definition video, industrial control, IoT, and large-scale sensor data aggregation.

[0081] In summary, the high-speed cellular communication forwarding system of this embodiment, by combining a hardware acceleration unit, a preset hardware forwarding table, and external network devices, achieves high-speed, low-latency, high-bandwidth, and resource-efficient cellular network data forwarding, overcoming the problems of CPU forwarding bottleneck, bandwidth limitation, and insufficient multi-task parallel processing capability in the prior art.

[0082] It should be noted that, in the technical solution of this application, the so-called external network device refers to various network terminals or intermediate devices that communicate directly with the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device through the output interface, and are used to receive, process, or further forward high-speed cellular network data. These external network devices may include Ethernet switches, used to distribute high-speed Ethernet signals to various terminals within the local area network, meeting the data distribution needs of enterprise, industrial, or home networks; they may also include wireless access points, receiving high-speed data and providing Wi-Fi coverage through a wireless LAN interface, enabling data access for mobile terminals or IoT devices. In application scenarios such as industrial control, video surveillance, or vehicle networking, the external network device can also be an edge computing server or edge gateway, performing real-time processing, analysis, and caching of downlink data, thereby reducing cloud processing pressure and achieving low-latency response. Furthermore, the external network device can also be a router or gateway, used to further forward cellular data to enterprise networks, data centers, or the Internet, achieving multi-link aggregation and load balancing; in specific scenarios, it can also be a terminal computer, workstation, or embedded intelligent device, directly consuming downlink cellular network data. Through the access of the aforementioned diverse external network devices, the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device can achieve flexible data distribution and parallel processing, make full use of high-speed cellular downlink bandwidth, ensure the continuity and stability of data transmission, and at the same time improve the overall scalability, reliability and management flexibility of the system, enabling it to adapt to the diverse application needs of 5G and future high-bandwidth communication scenarios.

[0083] The cellular communication high-speed forwarding method, apparatus, and system in this application convert communication data received by the cellular communication module into Ethernet signals and input them to the hardware acceleration unit built into the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor. Combined with a pre-established hardware forwarding table, this achieves high-speed, high-bandwidth direct forwarding of Ethernet signals. The matching and forwarding operations of the Ethernet signals are completed within the hardware acceleration unit, eliminating the need for CPU core processing and multi-level buffering. Even with downlink data traffic reaching 2.4Gbps or higher, low-latency, continuous, and stable data forwarding is guaranteed, solving the bandwidth shortage problem caused by the CPU forwarding bottleneck in existing technologies. Furthermore, the hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry, each used to record the data packet matching conditions of the Ethernet signal to be forwarded and the corresponding forwarding operation. The hardware acceleration unit extracts the matching field from the Ethernet signal, determines whether it meets the data packet matching conditions of the hardware forwarding table entry, and directly forwards the Ethernet signal to the corresponding output interface based on the matching result, achieving accurate and efficient data packet forwarding. For example, different types of data packets can be forwarded to wired Ethernet or wireless LAN interfaces based on fields such as destination MAC address, source MAC address, VLAN ID, IP address, or protocol type, while simultaneously triggering specific traffic monitoring or load balancing functions. This hardware-level packet matching and forwarding mechanism significantly reduces CPU load, allowing CPU resources to be used for other tasks such as edge computing data processing, IoT device management, or real-time monitoring, thereby improving overall system performance and response speed.

[0084] Third, in this application, the cellular communication module can be a 4G cellular communication module or a 5G cellular communication module, and the preset downlink bandwidth is the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module; the network system interface can be an RGMII interface or an SGMII interface; the bandwidth of the Ethernet signal can reach 2.5Gbps; and the hardware acceleration unit can be a hardware network address translation unit (NAT unit). This configuration fully utilizes the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module, enabling full utilization of high-speed data streams in the downlink, ensuring the continuity and stability of data transmission, while reducing power consumption and improving the reliability of long-term high-speed operation of the device. Furthermore, the cellular communication high-speed forwarding device and cellular communication high-speed forwarding system provided in this application embodiment achieve end-to-end high-speed data transmission by combining the cellular communication high-speed forwarding device with at least one external network device. The external network device may include an Ethernet switch, a wireless LAN access point, an edge computing server, a router, or an embedded smart terminal, etc., for receiving, processing, or further forwarding high-speed Ethernet signals. In specific applications, such as 5G routers, IoT gateways, or edge computing gateways, high-speed cellular communication forwarding devices receive downlink data streams from base stations. Through hardware acceleration units, they match and forward data based on pre-established hardware forwarding tables, directly delivering the data to the output interface. External network devices then distribute the data to terminals or process it, achieving efficient data transmission and processing in multiple application scenarios.

[0085] In summary, this application achieves high-speed forwarding of cellular communication by converting the communication data received by the cellular communication module into Ethernet signals and combining this with the main processor's built-in hardware acceleration unit, a pre-established hardware forwarding table, and external network devices. This solution not only solves the forwarding bottleneck problem caused by high CPU load and full cache in existing technologies, but also ensures high data forwarding speed, low latency, and high bandwidth.

[0086] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0087] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that they are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0088] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0089] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make modifications, alterations, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication, characterized in that, include: Receive communication data from cellular base stations through the cellular communication module; The communication data is converted into an Ethernet signal, and the Ethernet signal is input to the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor. The hardware acceleration unit, based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table, directly forwards the Ethernet signal to at least one output interface that is communicatively connected to the main processor. The output interfaces include a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless LAN interface. The Ethernet signal bandwidth is not less than the preset downlink bandwidth.

2. The high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry. Each of the aforementioned hardware forwarding table entries includes: a packet matching condition describing the Ethernet signal to be forwarded; and a forwarding operation corresponding to the packet matching condition; The hardware forwarding table entries are stored inside the hardware acceleration unit.

3. The high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to claim 2, characterized in that, The forwarding based on the pre-established hardware forwarding table includes: After the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit through the network system interface, the hardware acceleration unit extracts a preset matching field from the Ethernet signal. Determine whether the matching field satisfies the packet matching condition of a certain hardware forwarding table entry in the hardware forwarding table; When the matching field meets the data packet matching condition of the hardware forwarding table entry, the hardware acceleration unit forwards the Ethernet signal directly to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry according to the forwarding operation recorded in the hardware forwarding table entry.

4. The high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cellular communication module is a 4G cellular communication module or a 5G cellular communication module; The preset downlink bandwidth is the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module.

5. The high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to claim 4, characterized in that, The network system interface is an RGMII interface or an SGMII interface; The bandwidth of the Ethernet signal is 2.5Gbps, 5Gbps, or 10Gbps.

6. The high-speed forwarding method for cellular communication according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hardware acceleration unit is a hardware network address translation unit.

7. A high-speed cellular communication forwarding device, characterized in that, include: The main processor integrates a network system interface and a hardware acceleration unit; A cellular communication module is used to receive communication data from a cellular base station and send the communication data to a PCIe to Ethernet conversion unit via a PCIe interface. PCIe to Ethernet conversion unit is used to convert the communication data into Ethernet signals and input the Ethernet signals into the hardware acceleration unit of the main processor through the network system interface of the main processor. The hardware acceleration unit is used to forward the Ethernet signal directly to at least one output interface that is communicatively connected to the main processor, based on a pre-established hardware forwarding table. The output interfaces include a wired Ethernet interface and / or a wireless LAN interface. The Ethernet signal bandwidth is not less than the maximum downlink bandwidth of the cellular communication module.

8. The high-speed cellular communication forwarding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hardware forwarding table includes at least one hardware forwarding table entry. Each of the aforementioned hardware forwarding table entries includes: a packet matching condition describing the Ethernet signal to be forwarded; and a forwarding operation corresponding to the packet matching condition; The hardware forwarding table entries are stored inside the hardware acceleration unit.

9. The high-speed cellular communication forwarding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The forwarding based on the pre-established hardware forwarding table includes: After the Ethernet signal enters the hardware acceleration unit through the network system interface, the hardware acceleration unit extracts a preset matching field from the Ethernet signal. Determine whether the matching field satisfies the packet matching condition of a certain hardware forwarding table entry in the hardware forwarding table; When the matching field meets the data packet matching condition of the hardware forwarding table entry, the hardware acceleration unit forwards the Ethernet signal directly to the output interface corresponding to the hardware forwarding table entry according to the forwarding operation recorded in the hardware forwarding table entry.

10. A high-speed cellular communication forwarding system, characterized in that, The device includes a high-speed cellular communication forwarding device as described in any one of claims 7-9, and at least one external network device, wherein the external network device is communicatively connected to the high-speed cellular communication forwarding device through the output interface.

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